So, you’ve landed a job in the Search industry and have learned the basics: what’s next for you?

Our industry is full of twenty-something’s that jumped on a great opportunity. Here’s some advice for those young Search Marketers looking to stand out from the pack and join the ranks of the Sr. Management (which isn’t so ‘senior’ in age; it’s experience).

· Self-educate daily.Therearetonsofindustryblogsoutthere, some tell you what to think, some tell you how to do it, and all of them intend to make you a better Search Marketer with just 15 minutes of dedication daily.· Change willingly. When joining a smaller organization, you probably expected some change…but wow! With this industry growing as fast as it is, new positions will be developed, roles will expand, organizational structure must adapt, and goals may shift. “In a time of drastic change, it is the learners that inherit the future.” –Eric Hoffer, philosopher.· Don’t be scared to fail; promote a test it/track it culture. Stock Analyst Jim Cramer says to put up to 20% of your portfolio in speculative stocks – and spread that risk across several strategic selections so you never fail miserably, while taking a shot to hit it big. With Search, when everyone is fighting for first place on ‘back pain’, try a scientific term such as ‘fibromyalgia’ to generate traffic. Be speculative in the name of creativity – we are blessed with nearly instantaneous results to act on.· Become a subject matter expert. Show leadership through picking an area of interest for industry growth (mobile, local, geo, IYP), process development (technology use, research tools, MS Excel, data analysis), or company need (Where is Search going? What are competitors doing? What are clients asking for?). Make sure your manager is comfortable with your selection and that you’ll spend 10% of your time dedicated to being an expert. Find ways to spread your knowledge across your team or entire company with lunch n’ learns, writing white papers, building process, and client opportunity identification.· Find a mentor/be a mentor. As with any “new” industry, a large amount of knowledge is in people’s heads and not on paper or in process. Further, Search is part Science and part Artwork – and the most successful folks are the artists. Find the people with the experience and learn their art. Mentor others as your knowledgebase grows; this investment will pay off ten-fold over time.

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comments:

These are all great. I think another one a lot of people seem to already be doing that end up being really great search marketers is to play around with web design. Launch a personal blog, set up a personal website etc etc. Becoming familiar with how a webpage works and actually creating something of your own seems to engender passion in this business. It certainly seems like here at Resolution, people who really take a great interest in natural search (and i bet it pertains to paid as well) tend to have extra-curricular activities going on that involve some web-design/building and/or general tinkering.

This is really good stuff. I think the most important point to stress is that becoming an expert at search isn't going to just happen. It takes a dedicated effort and plenty of initiative...those are all great ways to start down that path.

I agree, these are all great points. I didn't realize, until I became part of Resolution Media, how important it was to "self-educate" when it comes to Search Marketing. I also want to comment on Dave's comment regarding "launching a personal blog, or setting up a personal website" and how I think people would definitely benefit from doing this in order to engender passion in this business. I've been desperately trying to figure out how to find my passion within Search Marketing, since I was eager to learn, but never directed in the right path as to how I "could" learn more. Since my time at Resolution Media, not only have I had unmatchable training, but I've also gained knowledge on how to self-educate in order to become a better Search Marketer.

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We are a digital marketing agency with a foundation in search engine marketing (SEM). We integrate online consumer-driven data to the evolving digital landscapre, driving measurable and actionable insights for our clients to achieve established business objectives and targeted growth.